Birthday Reflections

As a birthday draws close, it gives the perfect opportunity to reflect on the year past and look to the year ahead. I am turning 26 tomorrow and if I am to be completely honest, it scares me a little. 25 was a good year. I am now heading rapidly towards my late 20s and /gulp/ the dreaded 30! It seems like I should start being sensible, you know, buy a house, start a pension plan, settle down. Even the thought of it is bringing me out in hives. So, for the moment I will continue my usual method of running away from real life.

My 25th year started out well. I had flown to Singapore after spending a year in Australia and was en route home for Christmas. I spent my birthday on the top of the world's highest roof top bar drinking a cocktail with people I had met 2-5 days beforehand. And then a dumpling dinner with one of my best friend's housemates (as he decided to feck off to Shanghai for that week). It made me realise that it truth, strangers are just friends you have not met.

This year, I will be celebrating in the Warm Heart of Africa with friends who, 5 months ago were strangers (apart from Elaine of course). A Mzuzu birthday will be slightly different to a Singapore one but no less fun I'd imagine. Dinner and drinks at the Zoo and possibly dancing. Life is different here and that is no bad thing.

The last birthday I celebrated in Ireland was my 23rd. Wow, you guys have gotten out of buying me a lot of birthday presents :P In reflection on the years spent since I left Ireland, honestly, I am a different person. I am more confident, I know more about myself and I am more content with who I am. These changes, I am not sure I would have achieved without taking off on my own.

Looking back at the past year, a lot has changed. I had a job I hated, worked as a locum and then moved to Malawi. I travelled around Singapore and Malaysia, met some amazing people and come home to a brilliant Christmas. Lived in Galway and loved it, experienced the Volvo Ocean Race, ran the prom many times, had lots of coffee and chats and all in all enjoyed my 7 months at home. However my itchy feet got the most of me and as such my time in Ireland was brief.

So having looked back at the past year, I look towards the one coming. What will it bring? Or more importantly what do I want it to bring? Where in the world will I be for my 27th birthday? What will I have achieved in the next year? What do I want to achieved? All of life is setting goals for yourself. Whether you achieve those goals or not, it is always something to work towards.

Quote of the day: “And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.”  Abraham Lincoln.